Must of been some damn fine grub, someone is too busy eating to pose for a picture with the Camera Girl!

Since I shared this recipe on my Facebook page a few weeks ago, I've just been dying to try this out. I happened to have the day off and it’s one of those rare rainy, blustery days here in Southern California so I figured it was perfect baking weather. I quickly gathered all of the simple ingredients and whipped it right up.

Photo courtesy of Esotouric Secret Los Angeles, Facebook

The results? So scrumptious! The torte was thick, lightly sweet and buttery. The balance of fruit and walnuts seemed to offset the sugar content for a more savory flair.

As I was feasting on this old Clifton's family recipe, I kept thinking how indicative it was of the meals Clifton's Cafeteria used to serve to the multitudes over the generations. All of their meals were home-made, with fresh ingredients and purposely hearty and nutritious. True comfort food that illustrated the Clifton’s family vision, and especially needed to serve the poor families in the Los Angeles area who could thankfully afford a good hot meal by "paying what you wish".

This is probably why so many people have never and will never forget the memorable food they had when visiting this most famous landmark. When folks start reminiscing about Clifton’s you’ll usually hear about an array of hot bubbling trays full of buffet style classics, such as the full turkey dinner, meatloaf, mac and cheese, in addition to the endless display of fresh desserts, and let’s not forget about that famous Jell-o. It was a true feast for the eyes...and a Disneyland for the stomach.

You may not realize this, but there are actually hundreds of treasured family recipes that the 'new' Clifton's still has in its archives! They have even promised to incorporate many of these time-tested old recipes in with their new menus. (on my recent trips to Clifton’s none have yet surfaced thus far- boo!) And after the recent, shall I say "challenging" food reviews, it may be time to go old-school.

I've been looking for this recipe since I saw it in the L.A. Times long ago. I made several one year for family and all were pleased. I thank you for honoring Clifton's, a Southern California treasure. Now I better get busy with my baking.....